110 GRANDCHILDREN OF MYKOLAS KLEOPAS OGINSKIS – THE DUKES OF RIETAVAS AND PLUNGË BOGDANAS PRANCIÐKUS JUOZAPAS six-year music school, called the orchestra, where gifted MYKOLAS OGINSKIS (1848–1909) children of the region were taught not only to play the The Duke Bogdanas Oginskis (born in 1848, died violin and the organ but also subjects of music theory. In on 25th of March 1909) was one year older than his 1893, the symphony orchestra was formed in Rietavas, brother Mykolas Severinas Markas Oginskis (1849– where the best graduates – who could play the music of 1902). When their father died, Bogdanas was 15 years the most famous composers – from the local music school old. He received a good and proper education in the played. There are references in a historiography that the parental home. When Bogdanas inherited his father's idea of founding an opera troupe was discussed as well. manor, he was still young and despite that, perfectly It is known that overture of Tchaikovsky "1812" was took over the matters and continued father's work in performed in Rietavas for the first time. M. K. Oginskis' Rietavas. He aspired to adapt the current scientific, polonaises were also often played in Rietavas. The or- technical developments and cutting-edge farming chestra performed in Lithuania, Latvia, chose farther des- techniques in this Samogitian town. In 1877, he mar- tinations as well." ried the daughter of Kazimierz Wojciech Potulicki Ethnographer Eleonora Ravickienë writes: and Maria Zamoyska Maria Gabriela Potulicka. She "Bogdanas continued to develop the industry, es- was born on 18th of July 1855, died on 18th of Janu- tablished a large iron foundry in Rietavas. There we- ary 1927. Historian Dr. Aldona Praðmontaitë wri- re manufactured agricultural machinery and imple- tes233: ments. The factory employed about 150 workers. Fur- "In 1882, the first phone line connected Rietavas, niture and soap factories, sawmills and other buil- Plungë and Kretinga manors. It was the idea of Bogda- dings were built. He was also the patron of culture, nas Oginskis. A decade later, in 1892, another idea of for the book smugglers organized to deliver Lithua- B. Oginskis was implemented – the first power plant nian press from Prussia to Lithuania, provided them was built. B. Oginskis had many achievements in horse "ðipkartës" (Ger. Schiffsfahrkarte – ship card) that in breeding. Nowadays recognized as internationally pre- a face of danger would help flee abroad. [...] He was served breed of Þemaitukai remained only under the con- kind-hearted, a powerhouse, a bit eccentric, but stin- cern of Rietavas manor host during the second half of the gy, therefore, litigated with peasants for pasture and 19th century [...] It is hard to overestimate B. Oginskis forest a lot."234 merits in the development and dissemination of musical In 1906, B. Oginskis got sick with a rapidly culture: in the second half of the 19th century Rietavas progressing neurological disease. His wife Maria Gab- musical life was very active, again mainly because of his riela tried different treatments – took him to hospi- initiatives. Suffice to mention that, in 1872, under the tals of Germany and Prussia, however, after revea- example of European manors, there was established a ling that the treatment failed, she brought him back 233 Aldona Praðmantaitë, "Kunigaikðèio Bogdano Oginskio (1848–1909) krikðto ir krikðtynø ðventës intriga: faktai ir interpeliacijos", Kunigaikðèiai Oginskiai Lietuvos istorijoje. Kultûrinës veiklos pëdsakai ("Duke Bogdanas Oginskis (1848–1909) Baptism and Christening Celebration Intrigue: Facts and Interpelations", Dukes Oginski in a History of Lithuania. Footsteps of Cultural Activity), Vilnius, 2010, p. 213–236. 234 E. Ravickienë, Atsisveikinimas su tëvyne, p. 28–29. 111 On the left: fragment of the Rietavas manor (now called Laurynas Ivinskis Street). Photo by Vytas Rutkauskas to Rietavas. There after a few months Bogdanas (on defended their church. After B. Oginskis found out about 8th of April 1909) died. He was buried in Ogins- Kraþiai events, he made sure that the news about the kiai chapel-mausoleum in Rietavas. In the same pla- crackdown would spread all over the world, in order to ce was buried Bagdanas Oginkis' mother Olga Ka- condemn the Tsar policy directed against the Lithua- linowska-Oginskienë in 1899. In 1902, here was nian nation. In 1895, the unique water tower with a also buried Bogdanas' brother the duke of Plungë wind power plant was built and equipped in Rietavas. Mykolas Oginskis. MYKOLAS MIKALOJUS SEVERINAS For many years Bogdanas Oginskis' wife Maria Gab- MARKAS OGINSKIS (1849–1902) riela took care of orphans in Rietavas. She paid the Duke Mykolas Oginskis of Plungë (in historiog- price of their education. E. Ravickienë in her publi- raphy he is usually called as Mykolas Nikolajus and cations asserts that Duchess Maria helped for more Mykolas) was born on 25th of April 1849 in Rieta- than 500 people. When duke B. Oginskis got sick, vas, died on 24th of March 1902 in Nice (France). Rietavas orphans and 30 musicians were taken to M. He studied in the Boys Gymnasium of Ðiauliai. My- G. Oginskienë's father manor in Bobrek (near Aust- kolas was a great music lover and a connoisseur, a ria). Not long after her husband's death, she went to patron; he played several musical instruments. For live there too. Bobrek manor passed to her owners- some time, he was a commander of Telðiai County hip as father's legacy. M. G. Oginskienë died in 1927 nobility (he work 10 years in this office, when, in in Potulice (Poland) at the age of 74. 1886, he was replaced by Alexander Schulz) and the When Bogdanas Oginskis governed in Rietavas, head of Telðiai, chairman and chief of a volunteer seven mills, six sawmills, a butter and cheese factory firefighters association. were built and in 1871, manor orangery was reconst- M. Oginskis married Polish countess, maid of ho- ructed. In 1873, department of Animal Care Asso- nor of the Austrian Emperor Maria Teresa Kaspara ciation of Russia (worked until 1902) was establis- Skurzewska (1857–1945). hed in Rietavas. B. Oginskis actively participated in After the death of his father Irenëjus Oginskis, its work. In the same year, veterinary clinic was es- M. Oginskis inherited Zalesye manor in Aðmena tablished in Rietavas; the dukes Oginskiai provided County (current Belarus). Dukes Oginskiai have not the premises for it. lived there for more than a decade. For a while he In 1874, the construction of St. Michael the Ar- lived at brother's Bogdanas home in Rietavas, hel- changel Church was completed (began in 1853). It ped him manage the matters of manor. On 21st of was neo-Romanesque, the Latin cross plan basilica February 1873 he bought Plungë manor, Plungë with two towers and semicircular apse. The church and several farmsteads (Aleksandravas, Jovaiðiðkës, really adorned Rietavas town. Karklënai, Plungë, Santakos, Stonovièiai, Þutautai), In 1875, the first agricultural exhibition was held which were in the territory of Telðiai Volost of Kau- in Lithuania (it is also known that before it, in 1846, nas Governorate, from the state adviser, count Pla- an agricultural exhibition was held in East Prussia, Prie- ton Zubov. Hereby, M. Oginskis became the last kulë, which was populated by Lithuanians. The Agri- governor of Plungë manor. cultural Society of Klaipëda County then organized After becoming the governor of Plungë, M. Ogins- it). In 1881, under B. Oginskis initiative, society for kis took reforms immediately. M. M. Oginskis built fostering the Þemaitukai breed was established in Ra- a new brick neo-Renaissance residential palace (the seiniai. In 1890, the same Þemaitukai society was es- construction was finished in 1879) on a coast of tablished in Rietavas. creek Babrungas, where the old Plungë manor sto- B. Oginskis supported the Lithuanian National Awa- od. Oginskis lived in Plungë. kening. He supported Kraþiai residents, who, in 1893, M. M. Oginskis had a family museum in the pa- 235 J. Skurdauskienë, "Kunigaikðèio Mykolo Mikalojaus Oginskio lituanistinë veikla tautinio kultûrinio sàjûdþio metu (XIX a. antroji pusë – XX a. pradþia), Lietuvos dvarai: kultûros ir ðaltiniø tyrinëjimai, ("Duke Mykolas Mikalojus Oginskis Lituanistic Activities at the Time of National Cultural Movement (19th c. second half – beginning of 20th c."), Lithuanian manors: Culture and Researh of the Sources, [concluded by R. Butvilaitë], Vilnius, Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis, No 47–48), 2008, p. 217–225; "Kunigaikðtis Mykolas Mikalojus Oginskis – lietuviø kultûriniø aspiracijø rëmëjas" ("Duke Mykolas Mikalojus Oginskis – Lithuanian Cultural Aspirations Supporter"), Þemaièiø þemë, 2005, No 4, 112 p. 21–23. lace, where he collected valuable artworks, archaeo- A. Sketeris' book "Instruction How to Defend Yourself logical finds, hunting trophies, and books. M. from Cholera"243. Historian A. Tyla's efforts to publish Oginskis merits for Plungë are immense. Museum the Lithuanian press, estimates not only as an expres- specialist and historian Dr. Jolanta Skurdauskienë sion of national consciousness, but also as "a protest broadly described them235. against repression of the Tsarist government and the In the article "Duke Mykolas Mikalojus Ogins- fight against the ban of Lithuanian press"244. During kis the Supporter of Lithuanian Cultural Aspira- the period of Lithuanian press ban, M. M. Oginskis tions", published in the magazine "Samogitian was one of the first and one of the few, who began to Land", she writes: submit such requests (during that period 106 requests "From his father, Mykolas Mikalojus took over an were submitted in total). Such activities of M. M. Ogins- old acquaintance with Laurynas Ivinskis and the bis- kis showed that the Duke more or less communicated hop Motiejus Valanèius236, legal sponsorship tradition with a small community of Lithuanian intellectuals. of Lithuanian books237 and quite early got involved in- In addition to the mentioned above L. Ivinskis, M. Va- to this work himself.